268 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER.  September  16,  1897. 
WESTONBIRT. 
Upwards  of  twentj-fonr  years  ago,  or  to  be  exact,  in  the  issue  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  dated  July  31st,  1873,  there  appeared  an  article 
descriptive  of  the  beauties  of  Westonbirt,  in  which  the  writer  stated  it  as 
his  opinion  that  that  was  the  first  extended  reference  which  had  been  in 
the  pages  of  this  or  any  other  gardening  paper,  and  so  far  as  can  be  found 
no  notes  have  appeared  in  these  columns  since  then.  This  neglect  is 
more  than  surprising  when  the  undoubted  magnificence  of  the  estate 
is  borne  in  mind.  Its  palatial  mansion,  lovely  pleasure  grounds  and 
flower  gardens,  well-equipped  houses,  and  superb  arboretum  are  each 
worthy  of  an  article  to  itself.  No  general  notice  could  possibly  do 
justice  to  either  of  these  individually,  much  more  to  the  whole,  but  an 
effort  must  be  made  in  the  limited  space  at  command.  The  writer  of 
the  references  to  which  allusion  has  been  made  spoke  in  highly  eulogistic 
terms  of  the  place  then,  when  it  was,  so  to  speak,  in  its  infancy,  and 
more  than  corroboration  can  be  added  now.  On  every  hand  there 
is  beauty  either  of  Nature  herself  or  of  the  art  of  man..  Then  the 
occupier  was  the  late  R.  S.  Holford,  Esq.,  now  his  son.  Captain 
Ilolford,  Equerry  to  his  Royal  Highness  the  Prince  of  Wales,  is 
the  fortunate 
owner. 
In  justice  to 
the  former  of 
these  gentle¬ 
men  it  must 
be  placed  on 
record  here 
that  it  is  to 
him  the  credit 
is  due  for  this 
worthy  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  list 
of  the ‘“Stately 
Homes  ofEng- 
land.”  The 
estate  has  been 
in  the  posses¬ 
sion  of  the 
family  for 
several  gener¬ 
ations,  but  it 
was  not  until 
Mr.  U.  S.  Hol¬ 
ford  came  into 
the  ]  iroperty 
that  a  deter¬ 
mined  effort 
was  made  to 
imjirove  the 
h  or  t  i  cultural 
and  the  arbo- 
ricultural  de¬ 
partments.  His 
knowledge  in 
each  of  these 
subjects  was 
most  ])rofound 
and  took  an 
eminently 
practical 
shape.  To-day 
Capt.  Holford 
has  the  same  interest,  but  with  considerably  less  time  to  devote  to  estate 
matters.  Trees  there  are  of  his  planting,  and  in  their  placing  it  can 
readily  be  perceived  that  the  taste  of  the  father  has  been  inherited  by 
the  son.  This  is  as  it  should  be,  for  it  may  be  taken  as  a  criterion 
that  the  estate  will,  so  far  as  it  is  in  his  power,  be  maintained  as  it  has 
been  and  as  its  beauty  demands  that  it  should  be. 
Perhaps  the  feature  which  strikes  the  visitor  to  Westonbirt  the  most 
forcibly  is  the  exceptional  artistic  taste  seen  on  every  hand  that  was 
displayed  in  the  planting  of  the  trees  in  the  pleasure  grounds  about  the 
mansion.  Knowledge  of  plant  life  and  of  tree  life  is  stamjied  in  every 
clump,  in  every  glade,  and  in  every  dell.  Each  tree  and  bush  is  neigh¬ 
boured  by  those  of  different  character,  though  the  harmony  is  never 
strained  in  the  slightest  degree.  One  can  see  at  a  glance  that  the  planter 
was  quite  alive  to  what  each  tree  or  bush  would  eventually  attain,  with 
the  consequence  that  every  one,  while  showing  itself  to  the  best  advantage, 
assists  in  emphasising  the  points  of  its  neighbours,  whether  they  be 
comparatively  close  to  or  distant  from  it.  When  the  changes  were 
commenced  there  was  flat  meadowland,  now  there  are  rockeries,  lake, 
shrubs,  soft  lawns,  and  handsome  trees  in  about  the  most  charming 
30  acres  of  pleasure  grounds  it  has  been  the  writer’s  fortune  to  see. 
Erom  an  arboricultural  point  of  view  the  interest  engendered  at  the 
outset  is  maintained  to  the  end,  for  the  variety  is  remarkable.  There  are 
to  be^  seen  almost  all  kinds  of  Coniferous  and  other  trees,  and  in  the 
majority  of  instances  there  are  perfect  examples  of  each.  Specimens  of 
several  represent  the  products  of  the  first  consignments  that  came  to.  this 
country,  and  amongst  them  may  be  noted  Wellingtonia  gigantea  and 
Cedrus  atlantica,  with  scores  of  others  of  which  mention  cannot  be 
made.  The  Conifers  are  of  singular  beauty,  the  boughs  sweeping  the 
ground  and  rising  gracefully  to  the  summit  without  a  break.  The  Liquid- 
ambers,  the  Tulip  Trees,  the  Oaks,  the  Acers,  with  many  besides,  are  all 
excellent  amongst  the  deciduous  kinds,  and  are  no  less  beautiful  in  their 
way  than  the  Conifers  previously  noted.  One  might -spend  days  amongst 
the  trees  noting  the  stature  of  a  noble  Cupressus  here,  and  the  spread  of 
branch  of  the  Cedrus  deodara  yonder,  the  graceful  contour  of  a  Douglas 
Fir,  and  the  handsome  leafage  of  the  .Japanese  Maples,  but  such  a  course 
would  need  the  eye  and  mind  of  a  specialist  in  arboricultural  craft.  The 
results  of  such  an  inspection  of  the  trees  here  and  at  other  places  where 
kindred  work  was  done —Tort worth  for  example  -  would  be  valuable,  and 
of  more  than  passing  interest.  _ 
Returning  now  to  matters  pertaining  more  of  a  horticultural  character, 
but  with  no  apology  for  the  digression  into  the  world  of  trees,  we  find 
an  individuality  marking  Westonbirt  as  different  from  most  other  estates. 
In  the  planting  of  a  small  border  of  shrubs,  in  the  formation  of  the 
rockeries,  in 
the  making  of 
the  lake,  in  the 
thro'ving  up 
of  terrace  on 
terrace,  judg¬ 
ment,  practical 
knowledge, 
skill,  and  taste 
have  all  been 
combined,  and 
with  the  hap¬ 
piest  results. 
Glance  at  the 
illustration 
(fig.  38),  which 
in  a  peep  from 
the  lower 
ground  be¬ 
tween  the 
trees,  shows 
the  mansion 
on  the  rising 
terraces.  It  is 
a  pretty  pic¬ 
ture,  and  only 
one  of  the 
many  that 
abound  on  all 
sides.  From 
one  place  a 
glimpse  may 
be  had  of  the 
lake,  with  its 
rocky  sides 
an,d  fertile 
borders,  while 
in  another  an 
opening  in  the 
verdure  will 
show  some 
noble  tree  or 
beautiful  foli¬ 
age  or  flower¬ 
ing  shrub.  A  walk  is  one  of  never-failing  interest,  for  “at  every  step 
fresh  beauties  greet,  and  glorious  scenes  unfold.” 
The  planting  of  bulbs  in  the  grass  near  the  edges  of  beds  and  borders 
has  been  very  extensively  carried  out,  and  one  is  always  meeting  something 
fresh.  There  are  Daffodils  for  the  spring,  with  Snowdrops,  Aconites, 
and  Dutch  Crocuses  ;  while  hardy  Cyclamens,  Crocus  species,  and  many 
others  thrive  luxuriantly.  Year  after  year  these  grow  and  spread,  but 
their  flowers  in  the  soft  coolness  of  the  grass  carpet  are  always  fresh, 
always  admired.  It  seems  a  great  pity  that  more  of  this  system  of 
planting  is  not  followed  by  those  in  charge  of  the  pleasure  grounds  of 
estates.  We  might  go  on  about  this  section  at  great  length  to  the 
exclusion  of  other  features  of  interest  and  beauty,  but  this  would  not  be 
carrying  out  the  determination  made  at  starting,  to  do  the  best  we  could 
for  all. 
The  mansion,  which  was  built  by  Mr.  R.  S.  Holford,  is  an  ornate 
structure,  and  if  one  were  writing  for  an  architectural  publication  would 
supply  an  abundance  of  “  copy,”  as  it  is  it  must  be  passed  with  a  cursory 
glance.  The  view  of  it  shown  in  the  photographic  reproduction  (fig.  39), 
to  secure  which  the  operator  stationed  himself  on  the  lower  terrace,  will 
convey  to  readers  an  admirable  idea  of  its  general  character,  and  of  its 
imposing  magnificence.  It  is  built  of  Bath  stone,  and  it  need  scarcely 
be  said  that  the  rooms  within  are  commensurate  in  dimensions  with  what 
the  exterior  would  lead  one  to  suppose.  London  readers,  and  many 
country  ones  too,  will  be  familiar  with  Dorchester  House,  Park  Lane, 
which  was  erected  by  the  same  gentleman  as  Westonbirt  House,  and  with 
it  passed  to  Captain  Holford.  The  smoke  of  thousands  of  chimneys  has 
Fig.  38.— in  THE  PLEASURE  GARDENS  OF  WESTONBIRT. 
